The 7 Best Automatic Dog Water Dispensers – Quench The Thirst in 2020

Keeping your dog hydrated is essential to their health, and there is an effective solution!

The automatic dog water dispenser is here to save the day. (trumpet noises)

Depending on the size of your dog, the temperature outside, and if they eat a lot of dry food they may require more water. A healthy medium sized dog can drink between a quarter gallon to half a gallon of water per day.

Let’s take a look at the best fountains and water dispensers for your pet!

The big kahuna of dog water dispenser land. It comes in three sizes: 3.5 gallons, 5 gallons, and a monster 6 gallons. Frequently seen in the offices of doggy daycares, groomer businesses, and dog pros. It’s mobile, with locking wheels to push it to any event easily. Built with sturdy, high quality parts. We like that it’s made in the USA. It’s made of FDA approved food grade plastics.

It is expensive compared to most options! But, if you’re caring for a lot of dogs or maybe you have your own little farmhouse with a pack to yourself, this is perfect. The twist off top makes it easy to clean and the handle makes it easy to regulate or cut off the flow of water.

This is an innovative solution if you live in a hotter climate. Nothing is worse than being sweaty on a hot day and running up to a drinking fountain for.. hot water. It almost makes you not even want to rehydrate!

Dogs have the same issue. Water that has been sitting around all day at room temperature is not as appealing as the same bowl that’s a bit colder. This keeps cool up to 8 hours. It uses gel, that freezes and over time this cools the water. The gel is nontoxic.

Outside of a water bowl this can be great for owners who feed their pets perishable foods. A raw food diet, or a diet that includes things like meat, may benefit from using a cooled bowl to keep things fresh.

Clean freaks rejoice! The Aspen Pet Waterer comes with the most deterrents for grit and buildup. With a microban coating on the base, it has built in bacterial resistance. Since that’s not the only thing we should rely on, it’s dishwasher safe. You won’t have to spend time scrubbing this thing in the sink because it’s made out of cheap plastic. Because, it’s not. This has a quality thick resistant base that will hold up for years and years.

The reservoir is a twist lock, to give you that satisfying feel. “I’ve done it!”. You’ll probably have flashbacks to your lego building days, snapping the last piece into place to finish your masterpiece. A modern day Mona Lisa.. and then back to reality.

It has 6 different color options and 4 different reservoir sizes. Want this in pink? You got it buddy. It also ranges from a tiny 1/2 gal all the way up to 4 gallons in capacity. This is our cleanliness choice and everything else is an added perk.

Sometimes we get a little jealous about things that shouldn’t bother us. The whole “get off my lawn” mentality. We know it’s juvenile, but can’t stop ourselves from falling victim to .. bitterness.

What is the root of this rant? This dog waterer actually comes with a filtration system. If you buy this for your dog and end up drinking that filthy tap water, you can imagine your good boy at home living it up.. better than you. But, we want the best for our pets so that feeling will subside. This comes with a 3 pack of replacement filters. Like our previous option, this also has antibacterial coated base and is easy to clean with a detachable reservoir.

The one downside we see is that you will have to continue buying filters. But, if your tap water isn’t the best that’s not a big deal. It’s just incredible there are filtration systems in dog water dispensers! Rejoice, the world has changed.

Finally, we let cats get into the mix. The mospro pet fountain is marketed towards bird owners, dog owners, and cat owners. Everyone loves some running water. It runs quiet so you won’t have to worry about a buzzing sound, and comes with a 12 month warranty. Water and electricity aren’t always the best of friends, that extra reassurance is appreciated.

It comes with two carbon filters that are reusable and has food grade plastics so you won’t have to worry about anything leeching into the water.

Our gripe with this choice is that it may be fine for cats, but if you own a cat and a dog, a 1/2 gallon capacity setup isn’t going to cut it. Unless it’s a very small dog who isn’t too fond of hydration. We had a chihuahua who would run on hate so we could see this being possible.

The largest water fountain on the market at 3.5 Gallons, this is great for multiple pet owners. It can be used indoors or outdoors and is our “heavy duty” option for fountains. Besides the running water, it includes a replaceable carbon water filter.

This is not as quiet as smaller fountains and only has one water fountain setting. But, why mess with perfection? The reviews on this product speak for themselves, it does what it’s designed to do.

If you have a cat and a dog, they can share this option with plenty left for the both of them. This thing is BIG by the way. It weighs 8.5 lbs and is almost 2 feet in length(21 inches). If you bring this inside you’ll need some room.

If this product was a geyser it would be called Old Faithful. Years of happy customers and thousands of reviews have cemented the quality of this fountain. It just works.

This cat and dog option has a 1.3 gallon capacity which means you’ll have to refill it a little more often, but it doesn’t take up a ton of space. It runs quiet, and it’s easy to clean. Just disconnect the pump and throw it in the dishwasher. BPA free plastics mean your pet won’t get any nasty chemicals into their bloodstream as well. Cats seem to love this, and dogs will drink or eat anything in the first place so we don’t have to fret over them.

If you’re looking for a tried and tested option that just works, consider picking up this product by Drinkwell. For indoor water fountains this is our top pick.

Carbon Filtration

Adjustable Stream

Proven Reliability

1.3 Gallon Capacity

FAQs

What are automatic dog water dispensers benefits and purpose?

After a long day of work, there can be many distractions in our lives. Happy ones and frustrating ones just the same.

Using a dog water dispenser allows us to take care of the issue of hydration a few times a week instead of multiple times a day. If you’re like us, you may even have more than one dog. In that case, water gets drained fast. Especially in summer. We want the best for our dogs in our busy lives and that means proper hydration.

How to pick the best automatic dog waterer?

Everyone’s situation is different. If you are a clean freak, you’ll probably want the removable bowls so you can throw that in the dishwasher. Or, if you have cats and dogs you’re going to want a fountain (Cats do not like still water). Have two golden retrievers? Gonna need a big boy sized dispenser. At the end of the day it depends on your needs and your pets as to which option is fitting for your family.

Design of the dog water dispenser

All dog water dispensers have a similar design if they use gravity. This includes a reservoir at the top that fits into the dispenser bowl. If the bowl is empty, gravity pushes water down until it is level with water. At this point, the water stops coming out until your dog(or cat) slurps it up.

The differences between dispensers are in the details. One may have a antibacterial coating. Another, a removable base. Or an entirely different design suited for larger dogs.

Additional factors and considerations

As is true with most things in life. You get what you pay for. This isn’t a purchase that is going to break the bank, but, if you pay a few more dollars you might find a water fountain or dispenser that has all the features you’re looking for. We were surprised at the range of prices that can be found in this category. All the way up to a couple hundred dollars. Water is the essence of life they say.

Here we are complaining when plastic water bottles are a frequent purchase of ours :’).

Automatic cat water dispensers

Instinctively, cats prefer running water. So we definitely say get a fountain if you have a cat! Still water in nature is more likely to have little buggers growing in it. Cats are prissy by design and if you’ve lived with them you know this. We say splurge a little and find your furry fussball a nice little fountain instead.

Final thoughts on the best automatic water dispensers for pets

Who would of thought that when you go looking for a water bowl you’d become emerged in a sea of options?! It makes sense when you think about it, but it definitely took us by surprise. We covered the mobile options, the fountains, and the plain old gravity fed dispensers. As always, we’ve saved the best for last. Our overall top pick is the Drinkwell Platinum Cat and Water Fountain. It may not be perfect if you have more than one large breed, but for most people this option is grrrreat.

If you guys have any stories or inputs about water fountains you like for your pets, feel free to comment or give us a holler. We’re always listening 🙂

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